John Corn
10-29-02, 05:32 AM
Four years ago, EchoStar Communications Corp. advocated adoption of a federal rule prohibiting the common ownership of cable and direct-broadcast satellite companies as a way of promoting competition in the pay TV market.
Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission declined to adopt the rule. That's likely a good thing for EchoStar chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen, who is hoping that a deal with cable operator Cablevision Systems Corp. can salvage his $25.8 billion merger with DirecTV Inc. parent Hughes Electronics Corp.
In February 1998, the FCC initiated a cable-DBS cross-ownership rulemaking at a time when PrimeStar Inc. -- the medium-power DBS carrier owned by major cable MSOs -- was seeking FCC approval to acquire a key DBS license from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and MCI Communications Corp.
http://www.tvinsite.com/multichannelnews/index.asp?layout=story&doc_id=106180&display=breakingNews
Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission declined to adopt the rule. That's likely a good thing for EchoStar chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen, who is hoping that a deal with cable operator Cablevision Systems Corp. can salvage his $25.8 billion merger with DirecTV Inc. parent Hughes Electronics Corp.
In February 1998, the FCC initiated a cable-DBS cross-ownership rulemaking at a time when PrimeStar Inc. -- the medium-power DBS carrier owned by major cable MSOs -- was seeking FCC approval to acquire a key DBS license from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and MCI Communications Corp.
http://www.tvinsite.com/multichannelnews/index.asp?layout=story&doc_id=106180&display=breakingNews